When someone you consider family passes away, many thoughts and memories have a tendency to fill your mind, whether you want them to or not.

A friend and work family member passed this evening and I felt the need to write.

When I interviewed for my job at the hospital, She Who Shall Not Be Named introduced me to this person and I apparently passed muster. This was kind of a long standing joke while she was working at the hospital.

Once I started my job, I playfully joked around with this individual, and She Who Shall Not Be Named always used to say, “Don’t complain if you play with the puppy and find that you’ve been licked in the face.” I used to laugh at this, because no WAY was this person going to lick me in the face. Like, ever! (Oh, how wrong I was, LOL…)

He asked me to help him design a logo for his business (he was a DJ and did weddings, and the local Center Street Jam, playing tunes before the shag bands took the stage. He was pretty terrific, and I put together what ended up to be my favorite and most recognizable logo (locally) for him. (He was big time into shag music, which is a local thing; Google it if you’re not familiar.)

Time passed, and I married one of the maintenance guys in December of 2003. Our friend DJ’d our wedding, and also helped cook our yummy feast. I can’t believe that was almost 11 years ago, but it was.

Our friend was very active in our local ACS Relay for Life (the hospital team) and has/had this amazing quilt hanging in his office with all the themes from our team t-shirts.

Time passed some more, as it always does, and She Who Shall Not Be Named left the organization, and I got my new (and current) boss. So one day I was playing around with our friend and told him about playing with the puppy and damed if he didn’t lick me in the face. I turned so many shades of red that I don’t think Crayola would have been able to name enough crayons.

That’s not to say we didn’t have our disagreements. This guy and I had a major falling out a few years back, but we patched things up, just like regular family does.

He got sick a few months ago. He wasn’t looking so good. He had seen several doctors, but nobody could really put their finger on the problem. Then they thought it was his gallbladder.

Four weeks ago (while we were about to upgrade our server) he came into my office, like he often did, sat down and said it was nice to be there because it was quiet. He’d been resting in that seat off and on for a couple of weeks. We’d visit, and gossip, and joke around. We talked about what was going on with his health. A few of us suggested that he go to our emergency department because his doctor wouldn’t do gallbladder surgery because of his heart health, but it was going to be a long drawn out process to get him to the cardio-guy for the appropriate tests. Later, that last day that he sat in the relative quiet of my office before the server guy from Chicago came in to upgrade the hardware, he did go to the ED and was admitted and on the second floor. By the end of the week he was in ICU.

He passed just a couple hours ago, and there are a whole lot of people that are grieving right now. Myself, and my team at work, included. I called She Who Shall Not Be Named and we are all in the same place.

For us, those that worked with him? This is a suckfest of epic proportions. Our hearts are broken. Thank the powers that be that we have each other to lean on in the morning. I’m also thankful that the Hubs also worked with us, up until 5 years ago, and knows everyone affected and is appropriately sad.

Go in peace, my friend. You’re going to be missed by so many, and so many of us loved you, but we know you’re in a better place.

This one is for you, SD!

Until next time…

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About Julie the Workaholic

Mom of three (grown) sons and one (grown) step-daughter, wife of one, friend of many, and owned by seven 4-legged critters, writer, photographer, friend, huge fan of life, and most of all, lover of all things beautiful .….Getting healthy, and hoping to make a dent in the world in a most positive way! (And then there's my alter-ego, the Workaholic, who is me, just unfiltered.)

Julie, so sorry to hear about your loss, even though time has gone by since you wrote it, I am sure you still miss his loss. As you mentioned on your gratitude post, some of those are still hanging around as angels, possibly in spirit and in the skins of our friends… Hugs for you, my dear!